"How many realize that Hezbollah owes its existence to Israel's unilateral withdrawal from the area six years ago? Now they kidnap Israeli soldiers with a cross-border attack?! It can be said that the energy that fueled Hezbollah, the force that developed during the 16 year occupation, is what forced Israel out. That can be said and very revealingly argued. This has to be seen as provocation."

In the background: NewEconomics.org is doing a "Happy Planet Index". (Canada is 111th; UK 108th. Quite a few nations that are far from wealthy, such as some in South America, put in a very good showing.)

"The Happy Planet Index launched on Wednesday 12 July 2006, is the first ever index to combine environmental impact with well-being to measure the environmental efficiency with which countries provide long and happy lives. The results are surprising, even shocking. The ranking unmasks a very different world order to that promoted by self-appointed global leaders, the G8. For example, the UK is a disappointing 108th and the USA fares still worse at 150th on the Index.

[...]

[I]t is possible to produce high levels of well-being without excessive consumption of the Earth’s resources. Key findings of the Index are:

Self appointed world ‘leaders’ – the G8 - score generally badly in the Index: The UK comes a disappointing 108th – with the remainder of the G8 faring little, if at all, better. Italy is 66th, Germany 81st, Japan 95th, Canada 111th, France 129th, United States 150th and Russia 172nd.

Central Americais the region with the highest average score in the Index: The region combines relatively good life expectancy (an average of 70 years) and high life satisfaction with an ecological footprint below its globally equitable share. Central America has had a notorious history of conflict and political instability, but the last 15 years have been relatively peaceful, which perhaps, with traditionally high levels of community engagement, explain its success.

Countries classified by the United Nations as ‘medium human development’ come out better than both low and high-development countries: Only one ‘low-development’ country has a strong HPI score, whilst 21 per cent of countries classified as ‘highly-developed’ do. However, 44 per cent of countries with ‘medium-development’ score well. This is because, beyond a certain level, vastly increasing consumption fails to lead to greater well-being.

Well-being is not based on high levels of consumption: For example, Estonia - with high consumption - rates poorly on well-being. And, in the Dominican Republic where well-being is high, consumption is not above a globally equitable share.

More conflict, more chaos, more grief ... and always the hard-bitten compulsion to project ego and solidify the world.

" Israel widened its offensive against Hezbollah guerrillas on Thursday, targeting Beirut's international airport and blasting southern Lebanon for a second day, police and airport officials said. Twenty-two civilians were reported killed in the south, local media said.
Warplanes struck the runways of the country's only international airport early Thursday during Israel's ongoing air and sea assault "